Tyrese Campbell told how to turn around his Sheffield United story amid Stoke City return and barren run
Tyrese Campbell heads back to former club Stoke City this afternoon with his Sheffield United future under the spotlight after a difficult run of form, with Chris Wilder making clear what the striker must do to force his way back into the Blades’ starting XI.
Tyrese Campbell will get all the help and support he needs at Sheffield United, Chris Wilder has insisted, as they look to get the striker back to the form he showed in his first season at Bramall Lane. United face his former club Stoke City this afternoon.
And Campbell’s place is far from secure after Wednesday night’s disappointment in the Carabao Cup at Fleetwood, in which he struggled to make an impact and failed to convince anyone watching that he should be in the Championship starting XI.
He didn’t even make the squad for last weekend’s defeat to Wolves and with Patrick Bamford, Tom Cannon and Jordan Ayew also competing for a start, it will be interesting to see whether he features on the teamsheet this afternoon.
Speaking ahead of the trip to the bet365, Wilder was asked what the striker has to do to get back to the form of his debut season, when he hit double figures for goals for the first time in his career and helped United to within 15 minutes of promotion to the Premier League.
“You'd better ask him,” Wilder replied twice. Asked what he wants to see from the striker, he said: “Replicate the form that he showed two years ago. That is working hard on the training ground and grabbing opportunities. That just isn't limited to him; it's grabbing that opportunity when it presents itself.
“Because I've got a squad of 25 players and they all can't play. So any opportunity they have, whether it's a training opportunity, whether it's living the life right, whether it's being a top pro, whether it's getting an opportunity for five minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, half an hour, 45 minutes, 60 minutes, 75 minutes, 90 minutes ... take that opportunity and push themselves forward and play well. That's what we're all after.
“I'm after a team, I'm after players that play well. They've got an environment that offers them that opportunity of playing well. A shape, whatever shape it is, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 3-4-3, whatever shape it is, that gives them an opportunity to play well.
“But then you've got to take that chance. That happens across the country and across the world, any opportunity. You get an opportunity to play in the Ryder Cup, you've got to take the chance of being good on the tour to get into the Ryder Cup.
“You've got an opportunity during training or an opportunity that presents itself to play well, to put yourself forward, to be in the first team. Some players do take that and you go: ‘Brilliant, I'm happy about that.’ And some players don't.
“Is there still something in Tyrese? Yeah, of course there is, he's still part of the plans. Nothing would be better for me to see Tyrese producing the performances that he produced two seasons ago.
“But he needs to get back at it. At times he needs to do stuff, maybe, that he needs to do. But he'll get all the help and work and opportunities here. And, like I said, there was opportunity to present themselves to players on Wednesday night and he didn't take it.”
Campbell signed a new deal earlier this summer, to keep him at Bramall Lane until 2028, but travels to his former club Stoke today with one goal in his last 26 games.
“Has to do more,” said Wilder when asked for his current verdict on the striker. “They're the internal discussions that we're talking about. A bit inconsistent; does well in certain bits and needs to be more consistent.
“I think there was a contractual situation in there as well from our point of view. Protecting an asset as well by offering him a deal. We didn't offer him a three, four and five-year deal. So there's a contractual business decision in there as well.
“But from a football point of view, Tyrese needs to do more. I want to have the most difficult job in the Championship, by going: ‘Dear me, I can't leave him out, I can't leave him out, I can't leave him out. What about that? Can we force him in? Can we get him in?’
“For me, I ain't got those decisions this week. And that's what the players need to do. We've talked to them about that, and they understand that.”